A wireless mesh network is a meshed network implemented for example in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In a mesh network a mobile node can forward data originating from another mobile node to a further mobile node or transmit it to a base station. Mesh networks can cover long distances, in particular in uneven or problematic terrain. Mesh networks also operate very reliably, since each mobile node is connected to several other nodes. If a node fails, for example due to a hardware defect, its adjacent nodes seek an alternative data transmission route. Mesh networks can include fixed or mobile devices.
As mentioned above, FIG. 1 shows a mesh network MESH, which is connected to an infrastructure network INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK and as well as nodes MP, MAP of the mesh network also has non-mesh stations, for example a station STA operating according to WLAN. This station STA operating according to WLAN is connected to the mesh network MESH by way of a mesh network node MAP, which operates as a WLAN access point.
The mesh network MESH of the WLAN station STA here can also allow access to an infrastructure network INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK, for example a company network or the internet.
In this process mesh nodes MP and/or WLAN stations STA are authenticated for example using an authentication server AAA-server (AS), with the mesh network MESH being coupled to the infrastructure network INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK by way of a gateway component GW in the example shown.
FIG. 2 shows an independent mesh network MESH, as known in the prior art. Independent here means that the mesh network MESH is formed exclusively from mesh nodes MP.
These can be both infrastructure nodes and also so-called end user nodes, such as a notebook or PDA for example.
In contrast FIG. 3 shows an independent mesh network with an access point MAP, as known from the prior art, which allows non-mesh-capable devices, such as the WLAN stations STA shown for example, to register with the network MESH. The WLAN stations STA shown do not however take part in mesh routing themselves.